Sunday, July 27, 2008

DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

Here in Oklahoma City we are experiencing "The Dog Days of Summer". Just what does that mean? It refers to the hottest days of the summer and usually falls between early July and early September. This week we hit 100 degrees or higher. The TV weather forecasters say tomorrow will be 101 degrees and then drop into the mid 90's the remaining days of the week. Everything is parched and turning brown, and it seems as though just yesterday winter was here and we were wishing for spring. I remember as a child we had no home or automobile air conditioning and survived the heat, but HOW? We had to sleep outdoors on a pallet or in a screened-in porch. In Oklahoma, we usually have a breeze and by morning we kids were looking for covers or heading for our own beds just before the sun came up. The morning dew had already fallen by the time we headed indoors, so our bedding was left outside to dry. Today's children do not get to experience the fun we had lying under the stars and seeing who could tell the scariest ghost story before falling into a deep, peaceful sleep. Sometimes the ghost stories kept us from a peaceful sleep and we had to gather up our bedding and go inside to feel the safety of our surroundings. My family took many long and exhausting trips in our car with no air conditioning, and I can still feel the sting of that summer heat hitting me in the face as we happily drove on to our destination. Even as a young bride, I did not yet have a/c in my home or car either. I will never forget when we took a trip from Oklahoma City to Washington D.C., in the month of July, with car windows down and hot air blowing in around us and not once did we complain. We were just happy to be heading for our first look at our nation's capital. I guess in certain parts of the United States air conditioning is not important to have, but let me tell you, here in Oklahoma, you can't be without it.

I had a busy week and enjoyed every minute of it. There were a couple of birthdays in my family, my sister's (see July 23rd posting to my blog), and my grand-niece, Steff's 6th birthday. Steff is a well-mannered little girl. I had the pleasure of taking care of her recently and she said, "Aunt Peggy, may I please take a nap?" I have never heard a child ask to take a nap. My kids and grandkids fought taking their naps. On Wednesday I got the much needed haircut. I only go to the beauty salon three or four times a year when my hair needs cutting. I have been blessed with naturally wavy hair and have never had a permanent. I worked at the military museum on Thursday, had dinner out a couple of times, walked, visited friends, and look forward to more of the same this week. On Wednesday I will be going on the gambling bus to Thackerville, OK. I am not looking forward to having to get up at 3:30 AM in order to get ready, drive to Geneva's condo and the two of us driving on to the bus pickup location. The bus leaves at 6:00 AM, with or without us. After we arrive in Thackerville at the Winstar Casino we will have forgotten all the hassles of getting there, especially if one or both of us win. We have fun just being with the crowd. Our bus will return early evening and I will have time to prepare cookies and cake for the guys at the museum the next day. I received an e-mail this week from a young 10 or 11 year old girl (Zoe) that had visited the museum with her family. She took a liking to me and followed me all over the museum. She and her family were so delightful and took a great interest in the museum. Her mother home schools Zoe and her siblings.

Keith, Kelly, and I had Sunday dinner at a delicious buffet. We all stuffed ourselves and I doubt if any of us will even eat a snack tonight. We had great conversation during dinner talking about our individual blogs. All our blogs are quite different and unique to our own personality. My blog is a diary about me, family and friends. Kelly's is about family, travels, historical places she has visited and current happenings. Keith's blog covers sports, sport postcards, historical places he has visited and current sporting events.

If you haven't started your own blog, you need to consider starting one. It can cover any subject or interest you might have. I hope in the future to be reading your blog just as you are now reading mine.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

THE BIRTH OF MY SISTER

I will always remember the day my only sister, Janice, was born. It was July 23rd and one of the happiest days of my life. I was in high school and had only one sibling, a brother, Howard (now deceased). Janice was a surprise to all of us, having come late in life to our mother and father. It was considered late in life then to have a baby at the age of 37, the age my mother was when she gave birth to Janice. Nowadays a lot of professional women wait until that age or older to have their first baby. Howard and I didn't know what to think about our mother's pregnancy. I am sure he didn't tell any of his classmates, but I could hardly wait for summer to be over so I could show pictures of my baby sister to all my friends at school. I remember I carried her around like a doll, but she was cuter and smelled better than a doll and so much fun to watch her from day-to-day. Mother made her matching dresses and bonnets and she was adorable in them. I can't remember her ever crying because one of us was always holding her. She brought so much fun into our home.
When she was three, we moved to a new housing addition and the neighbors assumed she was my brother's and my baby, not having yet met my mother and father. Soon after we moved to the new house, I married and moved away to another state for a short period of time. My parents moved to Edmond after my marriage and Janice attended the public schools there (pictures of her during the school years). Janice and I have remained close. Now that our mother is deceased, I am almost like her mother, and from time-to-time, people have assumed just that. She calls to wish me a Happy Mother's Day each year.










Janice has her own family now, having married the love of her life, Stan, 35 years ago. He is my favorite brother-in-law, at least my favorite one living in Texas. Together they have raised a daughter, Sara, and now Sara is the mother of two darling daughters, Britt and Steff. Janice and Stan are wonderful grandparents. They include their grandchildren in everything they do, like cruises and trips to Hawaii. Sara, her husband, Steve, and the two girls lived across the street from Janice and Stan until a few months ago, when they relocated from Texas to Oklahoma. Janice and Stan kept Steff in Texas during the school year. Oklahoma does not have full day kindergartens and no one would have been home to care for Steff after school while Sara and Steve worked. This is the kind of grandmother Janice (Dojo) is, her grandchild's well-being to her own comfort and relaxation. Janice is a mother to several pets also, including cat, dogs, and several doves.

I am not going to divulge the year Janice was born. You never tell a woman's age!!!! And, if I give the year, you would also know my age, so the year is to remain unknown. I will give the prices of what a few things cost the year she was born. The price of gasoline was 26 cents/gal, bread was 14 cents/loaf, milk was 86 cents/gal, postage stamp was 3 cents, minimum wage was 40 cents/hour, and the price of a new car was $1,550.

I don't think I have ever told Janice how proud I am of her. She has undergone some life-altering changes with her weight reduction surgeries and it hasn't been easy for her. She is now a beautiful, slim, and creative individual. No one in our family can come close to being as good a cook as Janice. Her family is lucky to have homemade dinners when the rest of us are bringing home carry outs from the fast food restaurants. Her gourmet cooking is the hit of every family gathering.



Janice, I want to wish you a Happy Birthday on this July 23rd, and I want to tell you how proud I am to be your big sister. Yes, I remember the day that you were born. It doesn't seem like it was so long ago. I love you!!!

Sunday, July 13, 2008

THE LIFE OF A WIDOW

A widow is a woman whose spouse has died. A man whose spouse has died is a widower. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood.

Today I am writing about widowhood. There are many of us in that category. I have been thinking today what it means to be a widow. How our lives are changed and what changes we have to make in our lives. Women have a longer life span and widowhood could plunge a family into poverty. Fortunately I was not forced into poverty. I have been able to live the lifestyle that my husband and I had created for ourselves with careful planning throughout the years. Many widows are not as lucky as I. They have been widowed at a young age or have small children to be the sole provider for. I did not fall into either of these categories.

We all grieve in different ways. You will know you are getting better when your memories make you smile instead of breaking you into tears, or when you can tell someone else that life really does go on, or you find a way to leave your grief in the past and find you are actually enjoying living.

Getting through the holidays the first year is hard for most widows. I find holidays do not bother me. I still have my children and grandchildren to prepare for and I have the memories of yesterdays gone by. As I set the table with the special linens and glassware that my family always uses, all the wonderful memories pass before my eyes. I smile to myself and go on, life has to go on. Yes, as a widow my life has changed and I have made the necessary changes to actually enjoy living. I have made a new life for myself by necessity.

IF ONLY
By Lord Alfred Tennyson
O that 'twere possible
After long grief and pain
To find the arms of my true love
Round me once again!...
A shadow flits before me,
Not thou, but like to thee:
Ah Christ, that it were possible
For one short hour to see
The souls we loved, that they might tell us
What and where they be!

I never knew how much my husband did for us. Now that decision making is my responsibility, I find it overwhelming at times. I do have sons to ask for advice, but ultimately the decisions I make are mine, right or wrong.

As I am writing this post to my blog, I have a smile on my face reflecting back on the good memories I have of the best husband and the best years of my life. IF ONLY!!!!

Saturday, July 12, 2008

194TH DAY OF 2008

Today is Saturday, July 12th, the 194th day of 2008 with 172 more days to follow.

What have I done with the first 194 days of the year (where did they go), but more importantly, what will I do with the 172 days to follow?

I have now seen parts of three seasons already come and go this year and with each season there have been changes in my life and yours. We can't turn back the clock to correct or modify our mistakes or errors, but we can learn from them and move on to better things for the remaining 172 days. I have experienced good health for which I am thankful, and my son and granddaughter are doing well after their surgeries. I pray that we will continue to have good health and that we all will continue to prosper the rest of 2008.

So, for the remaining 172 days I plan to continue volunteering at the military museum to broaden my view on the wars that many men and women have fought in for the freedom of this country. I hope that all that are now serving in the war will come home safely and unharmed.

There will be family birthdays, a marriage (soon I hope), achievements, good health, friendships(both old and new), graduations, new homes, new cars, holidays (Labor Day Thanksgiving and Christmas) to celebrate in the last 172 days. I have a lot to look forward to.

Family and friends are there for us all year round. I hope you enjoy your family and friends as much as I do mine. ENJOY THE REMAINING 172 DAYS OF 2008!!!

Those born on this date are under the astrological sign of Cancer. Notables born on this July 12th include Roman leader Julius Caesar, American writer Henry David Thoreau, photography pioneer, George Eastman, composer Oscar Hammerstein II, comedian Milton Berle, painter Andrew Wyeth, pianist Van Cliburn, comedian/actor Bill Cosby, exercise and diet guru Richard Simmons, actress Cheryl Ladd, and Olympic gold medal figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi.

Temperatures are soaring here in Oklahoma City, being 94 degrees at 5:05 pm, as I am posting to my blog. My son, Scott, who lives in Santa Fe, NM e-mailed me this morning at 1:00 am rubbing in the fact that they were 56 degrees and said he had the windows open and how cool it was there. My grandson, Ryan telephoned today from Kansas, where he is a college student, and said it was 60 degrees there and he was wearing a jacket. I have only been out in this heat today to go to the bank, fill the car's gasoline tank up, and also filled the lawnmower container. Gasoline was $3.77/gallon. I understand we have some of the lowest prices in the nation. Even with the gasoline prices so high, all the bays at the station were filled with people pumping gasoline.

I volunteered at the museum this week, and went to the Lucky Star Casino in El Reno, with two of my close girlfriends. I enjoy both of these friends very much. Geneva was a neighbor but has moved after becoming a widow and Lorene lives down the street from me and I see her most everyday. Lorene's boyfriend volunteers at the military museum. He earned the Purple Heart medal after having been severely wounded in combat. The casino outing was fun but Geneva and I both lost and Lorene came out even. I also did my walking this week at the mall and last night had dinner out with Keith and Kelly.

I took Janie, my former daughter-in-law and the mother of my two grandchildren, to have an injection procedure yesterday in her neck. It was to be routine but she started having chest and shoulder pains and was taken immediately to the emergency room. It was frightening for them to come and take me to the ER where Janie was on oxygen and being given every kind of preventive test available. Nothing showed up in all the tests, Thank God, and she was released and I took her back home to Edmond where she is to rest for a couple of days. Janie gave me a beautiful potted plant for taking her for her procedure.

I am saddened to just learn of the death of Oklahoma's great baseball player, Bobby Murcer. He has been fighting brain cancer for several months. He was a player and a member of the Yankee organization for many years. Until recently he was a broadcaster for the Yankees. Many of the greats are gone now, including two of the greatest from Oklahoma, Mickey Mantle and Bobby Murcer.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

SCOTT, MY FORGOTTEN SON

After reading my posting to my blog yesterday, my son, Scott, with "tongue in cheek" reminded me that I never mention him. So this posting is dedicated to my, unintentionally, forgotten son. Scott is never out of my mind, but due to his living in Santa Fe, NM I do tend to write about what is happening right here, right now.

Santa Fe was having a downpouring rain yesterday, with loud thunderclaps, the first of their monsoon season. Scott was standing out on his balcony enjoying all of it. His allergies have been bothering him, due to the lack of moisture in the air. I hope he will start breathing easier now. Just the evening before he was standing out on his balcony listening and watching a firework display nearby. He chose to stay home and eat hot dogs on the 4th and had watched the hot dog eating contest the day before when the American contestant won, after eating 64 hot dogs in the fastest time. Scott didn't tell me how many he ate but I am sure it was nowhere near 64.

Scott is my youngest son of two. He is a financial planner and works in 5 branches of a large bank in Santa Fe. Prior to his locating to Santa Fe, he lived in New Orleans. After Katrina hit New Orleans, he chose to relocate rather than starting all over again. His office was destroyed, but thankfully his townhouse was intact. He had just acquired a beautiful, neglected cat from his vet and had had Lanie only two days before the hurricane hit. Scott had to evacuate, as he had so many times before, and thought he would be able to return in a day or two. Lanie, the cat, was left in the townhouse with plenty of food and water to last much longer than two days. No one in New Orleans was prepared for the levy to break causing insurmountable damage and destruction. Scott was not allowed to return to his unharmed townhouse for two weeks. He feared the worst about Lanie, but after two weeks all alone, she was all right and still had food and water remaining. I guess she rationed herself. Scott and Lanie are both doing well in Santa Fe and have become bosom buddies. Lanie is skittish and we aren't sure if it is caused from the hurricane or from abuse she had before Scott got her. Scott is an animal lover. He had both his dog (Dogger) and his cat (Pebbles) for 20 years before each died of old age. Scott is now watching a bird covering her eggs, where she built a beautiful nest on his balcony light fixture. He is unable to turn on his outside light until the birds hatch and fly away.



Scott is having fun with his brother, brother's fiancee, Kelly, and me as we write our daily or weekly blogs. He won't admit it but I think he enjoys our writings as much we do in writing them.

So Scott, here is to you on this beautiful Sunday. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I had in writing about you.

Saturday, July 5, 2008

FREEDOM TO CELEBRATE

HOW DID YOU CELEBRATE THE 4th of JULY? We Americans have the right to celebrate in the way we choose. We oftentimes forget where these rights come from. We live in a great country where men die to preserve these rights. They give of their life freely so that we may live in peace. Let us not forget these men who so heroically die for you and me.

Many families celebrated yesterday in the traditional way, much as we did when I was a child. My family always got together and went to a public park, where we ate on fried chicken, potato salad, watermelon, and homemade ice cream cranked in an ice cream freezer. We kids got to take turns turning the crank to freeze the ice cream. What a delight when it was frozen and we were each given a dish of the best ever ice cream. I can almost taste it now. We played games such as horseshoes, baseball, and sack racing, and no one wanted the day to end. We were already looking forward to the next year's celebration. Through the years our family grew smaller, as deaths occurred, and celebrations became less and less frequently. Our family celebrations are non-existent now since divorces, deaths, aged family members, and moves have taken a toll on our family. Oh for the good ole days!!!

I personally celebrated the 4th by working at the Oklahoma 45th Infantry Division Museum. It was an eye-opening morning. The museum's curator and many others, dressed in their military uniforms, marched and rode in the annual Edmond, OK 4th of July parade. The men met at the museum and rode to the parade in two old army vehicles that are usually on display inside the museum. They are kept in running condition and are driven on special occasions. They returned from the parade hot and sweaty, as most of the uniforms were made of wool. These "soldiers for the day", had served in the Regular Army or the National Guard. The curator remained all day at the museum in his uniform and one family asked if their small son could have his picture taken with him. He was more than happy to oblige and the youngster, who was from Colorado, was extremely proud to have had his picture taken with a "soldier". We had seventy-five visitors who came to the museum to honor the men in the armed services. Visitors were from Germany, France, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Colorado, Texas, and Oklahoma. I had never worked on the 4th at the museum and I felt better at the day's end for having spent the day there.

My son and his fiancee, Kelly, smoked hamburgers and brisket and fixed corn on the cob and baked beans, and to my delight, prepared enough for my dinner. It was wonderful to come home to. They do thoughtful things for me almost on a daily basis.

This has been a busy week for me. I went out to dinner with my friend, Geneva, worked both Thursday and Friday at the museum and did a hundred and one other things throughout the week. Time really flies when you are having fun!! Nothing special is planned for tomorrow, Sunday, so I will try to catch up on undone things.

I have a new friend that responded to my blog on Father's Day and I wish to thank Judy in Kentucky, for all the nice comments and the inspiration she has given me, my son, and Kelly on our blogs. Judy, thanks so very much and we will continue to read new postings on your blogs.